


Bodyguard

by orphan_account



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: All Human, Bullying, High School, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Violence, bodyguard!Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7175888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus believes that his social-standing is well and truly down the toilet when his rich parents hire a bodyguard to accompany him through his last year of high-school. He detests the idea, and still insists on it being a terrible solution even when it turns out that his bodyguard is really quite the looker…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: violence, bad language, bullying, Malec fluff (yes, there should be a warning for it)  
> Length: 8K words  
> Disclaimer: nah kidding I own these bitches ah ha ha ha sue me  
> This was based on a prompt from this post by otpprompts: You’re parents are extremely overprotective and hired me to be your bodyguard.

* * *

“No. Fucking. Way.”

“Magnus. It would be a great help if you could-”

“Seriously, mother. What the fuck is the point.”

“Magn-”

“Are you _trying_ to ruin my life even more than it already has been?”

“Come on, Magnus. You know I wouldn’t do anything unnecessary.”

“And what part of this is necessary?”

“You will be a lot safer-”

“What part. Of this. Is. Necessary.”

“Magnus, why don’t you trust me-”

“WHAT PART? Please, enlighten me. How the _fuck_ this is necessary?”

“Magnus,- and keep your language under control young man- you didn’t want to go to a private school, which it completely _fine ,_ and this is your last year of high school-”

“EXACTLY. And I’d like to survive it _please_.”

“You mean like you survived last year?”

“Yes, _actually._ Like I survived the last year.”

“So you call skipping class to smoke weed _surviving_?”

“Ugh! We’ve been through this- I said I won’t do it again!”

“That’s good then! One less thing for him to worry about.”

“So you _are_ using this baby-sitter to spy on me.”

“I never said that! But yes, he will report back to us if you do anything you shouldn’t.”

“I thought this guy was supposed to _protect_ me from other people, not spy on me.”

“He _is_ going to protect you from other people. And that includes yourself.”

“The people at school hate me because I’m a rich-kid- combined with several other things- I _really_ don’t think that having an actual bodyguard is going to help my situation.”

“They won’t know he’s a bodyguard. Unless if you tell them of course. He looks your age, so no one will notice. He’ll be posing as another student, so they’ll just think he’s your friend-”

“ _Really_. So they won’t think he’s my boyfriend or something? Which, by the way, is far, far worse-”

“Magnus, you are going to be late for school.”

“I’m not going to school with him.”

“Do I have to call him in to drag you to the car?”

“I’m not going to school.”

“…”

“Fine fine _fine_ , I’m going!”

“Have a good day, darl-”

Magnus slammed the front door as hard as he possibly could, and that was the end of that conversation.

* * *

Muttering curses and genuinely dreading the first day of school even more than he already did, Magnus stormed over to the car and, sure enough, his new bodyguard was waiting for him in the driver’s seat.

“Good morning, Mr. Bane,” the bodyguard said with a well-practiced politeness as Magnus got into the passenger’s seat without a reply. “My name is Alexander, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” A stony silence followed. “But you can call me Alec.” Magnus blinked, refusing to look at him. “Would you prefer it if I called you Magnus or-”

“What I would prefer, _Alexander,_ is if you would just so kindly fuck off,” Magnus snapped.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he replied with the same polite, almost mechanical tone.

“Well then, why don’t you just drive?”

“Yes sir,” Alexander said, and started the car.

Throughout the short journey, Magnus held onto the cold silence as if it really were the last of his pride. He scowled at the road in front of them, quietly seething as hatred boiled within him. Whether the hatred was aimed at his parents, the other students, the bodyguard or at himself, he couldn’t tell, but in the mean time he decided to take his anger out on the bodyguard by simply staying silent and refusing to acknowledge his existence. Or, at least, that’s what he tried to do. Magnus did cast a few sideways glances at Alec, just to get a look at him. His mother had been right in that the bodyguard looked his age, perhaps even younger, and Magnus couldn’t deny that he was attractive in the face, with his tousled, coal-black hair and blue eyes framed by very long lashes. Yes, he was attractive indeed, but Magnus wished he could say the same for the rest of him. Alec’s clothes were positively _awful_. The all-black look only emphasised how pale he was, and the baggy sweater that hung over his frame had more holes than Magnus had ear-piercings.

Magnus sighed. “You drive like a granny,” he said with a stale voice.

Alec sped up a little. Magnus sighed again.

They turned into the school parking-lot and it was already almost full, but Alec easily found a parking space and moved into it with a practiced ease. Magnus immediately got out of the car and, without a backwards glance, he made his way across the parking-lot towards the crowd of students who were gradually maneuvering towards the main building, which was grey and boring, and Magnus’ personal Hell.

Alec caught-up with Magnus, carrying two rucksacks: Magnus’ and his own. Magnus wordlessly snatched the rucksack from Alec’s outstretched hand and continued to walk through the crowd, his head down, hoping not to gather any attention. “I will be in all of your classes,” Magnus heard his bodyguard say. “We’ve got… English first, I think.”

Magnus glanced back at his bodyguard, quickly as he was walking, to find that Alec was looking down at the timetable with a concentrated expression, and wasn’t entirely focused on Magnus. _This is my chance,_ Magnus thought, smirking inwardly. He decided to take the opportunity and side-stepped swiftly into the crowd and out of Alec’s line of sight, with his head ducked slightly, and pretty much made a run  for the English department.

When he got there, his heart dropped. Most of the class had already arrived and had taken up the seats in the back of the room, which was where Magnus usually hid. He ended up sitting next to a window which was almost as good as being out of sight, because he could just stare outside at the parking lot and pretend he was actually doing something useful, like buying new clothes, or eating ice-cream, or watching _Project Runway_ \-  

“Ah! Look who it is!” a familiar voice exclaimed from behind Magnus, rudely interrupting his daydreaming. It was Sebastian Morgenstern, one of the school’s top-dogs; captain of the football team, dates the hottest cheerleaders, holds parties every week, picks on anyone he deems (un)worthy, blah, blah, blah. Magnus was flattered that he had gained Sebastian’s attention more than most of his other victims, but apart from that, Magnus had grown rather bored of him. He was all bark and no bite. All the students that had ‘bite’ left last year. Thankfully. “Magnus, it’s good to see you again,” Sebastian said with a wide grin and a tone that was as nasty as he could possibly make it.

“Likewise,” Magnus replied with a voice like cardboard, still looking out of the window rather than at the brute with all of his followers surrounding him like a gang of idiotic hyenas, sniggering and commenting on everything Sebastian did or said.

“Aw, don’t be like that Maggie.” Magnus winced at the nickname. “It’s just that you and I had so much fun last year- I was afraid you weren’t coming back!”

Magnus sighed. “I’m never one to disappoint.”

“No, you certainly aren’t,” Sebastian sneered, accompanied by agreeing jeers from the rest of his group- five other students was it? There were at least five of them. “So, whadaya say, _Maggie._ Wanna have as much fun as we did last year?”

Magnus hadn’t the heart to say that the “fun” he had last year wasn’t actually with Sebastian but with his fouler and more violent predecessor, nor had he the stupidity. Magnus knew very well that one word from his mouth could easily upset Sebastian’s sensitive ego and send him into another of his tantrums which would draw even more attention to Magnus. He kept silent.

“Aren’t as smart-mouthed as before,” one of Sebastian’s mates pointed out, sounding awfully proud of himself.

Sebastian chuckled darkly. “Yeah, looks like we taught this bitch a lesson.”

And then there was a long pause. Magnus knew the group of jocks hadn’t left, but they were all suddenly silent, and the class hadn’t even started yet… Curious, Magnus turned away from the window and saw something that shouldn’t have surprised him quite as much as it did: his new bodyguard, Alexander, was standing in between him and Sebastian, his posture slightly tense as if he were an animal with its hackles raised. Only now did Magnus realise how tall he was…

 _Oh shit._ Magnus groaned internally. _The rest of my social life is well and truly down the toilet._ He was half-expecting Alexander to throw a punch or two like in the movies, or dramatically defend Magnus’ honour or something, but he did nothing of the sought. Instead, he spoke to Sebastian in his usual polite tone. “Could you please move your bag? I’d like to sit here if I may.”

Magnus could now see Sebastian’s face and it was pretty clear that he was surprised. Not angry, nor off-balance, but surprised. If it had been anyone else, Magnus was sure that he would have reacted negatively, but because Alexander did actually _look_ like he could be a jock (i.e. straight, handsome, can throw a ball, can act tough but still follow Sebby around like a puppy etc.), Sebastian seemed to be almost sizing him up. A friendly grin spread across his face as he looked Alexander up and down, clearly liking what he was seeing. “A new boy,  huh?”

“Yes, I am new here.” Magnus cringed.

“Welcome, new boy,” Sebastian said, seeming very pleased with himself. “The name’s Sebastian Morgenstern.”

He held out his hand for Alec to take, and Alec shook it courteously. “Alec Lightwood,” he said. 

 _What the fuck is he doing making friends with the people he’s supposed to keep away from me?_ Magnus thought angrily as he glared at the two buddies from afar. He was actually quite pleased that Sebastian’s attention was no longer on him.

“Welcome to Idris High, Alec,” Sebastian said with a cheerful smirk.

“Thank you,” Alec replied, before adding, “And please could you allow me to sit here?” His voice was still the same old practiced politeness, but now it was clear that he was becoming impatient.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow; he wasn’t used to being dismissed quite so easily. For a moment, Magnus thought that he was about to flip out, or at least meet what he might consider to be a challenge from Alec. Magnus was actually looking forward to seeing his new bodyguard in action… “Sure,” Sebastian said, and Magnus let out the breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding in. The students crowding around Magnus’ table began to disperse once Sebastian had made his way back to his own table. Alec had done a brilliant job in diverting the attention from Magnus, so much that the rest of the class were now watching Alec as he sat down at the desk next to Magnus’. Some girls were whispering to each other behind them, but then the English teacher finally turned up and the lesson started.

About twenty minutes had passed and Mr. Orchard was now yapping on about Shakespeare or grammar or something, boring Magnus almost immediately in the process. He went back to staring out the window. He had been staring out of the window for only a few moments when he was interrupted. “Magnus,” someone whispered.

Magnus turned his head to look at Alec with a deadly expression. “What.”

“Why aren’t you paying attention?” Alec whispered back to him, unfazed by the death-glare.

Whilst giving him an indignant look, Magnus replied with, “Why do you care?”

Alec gave him a look that could have been interpreted as _of course I don’t care,_ but instead he said, “Pay attention.”

“Just because you’re already done your time in school and you’re all high and mighty about this bullshit doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do, _Alexander_.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“You’re a bodyguard, not a fucking guidance counselor!”

“I’m supposed to stop you from flunking as well-”

“But I’m sitting right here in this Hell! How is this flunking?”

Alec scoffed, and for some reason it surprised Magnus. “Yes, you might be physically be here, but mentally you’re off with the- the rainbows and the fairies!”

Magnus gasped mockingly. “How did you know?!”

Then they were suddenly interrupted. “Oi! You two over there, quit ye chatting,” Mr. Orchard barked at them, before instantly continuing. “Now we all know how Mark Twain…”

Alec huffed and faced forwards, appearing to be participating in the class, but despite his immaculate poker-face Magnus could see an offended, or perhaps even a sulky look in his eyes. He was now slouching in his chair with his arms crossed moodily over his chest. _He’s adorable when he’s angry,_ Magnus thought, happy that he had managed to break through his bodyguard’s robot-persona and provoke a (small) reaction. _I wonder what it would take to make him_ really _angry_. _He’s getting paid for this, so he’ll probably put up with me for now, but for a whole year?_ Magnus almost laughed out-loud at how immature he was being. But annoying his bodyguard until he quits wasn’t something that his mother would take lightly. Alec was probably from another rich family, and pissing off Alec would mean pissing his family off, and in turn pissing Magnus’ mother off, and ever since the events of last year, Magnus didn’t want to worry his mother more than he already had done. She deserved it least of all.

And so, Magnus reluctantly decided to listen to the rest of Mr. Orchard’s unenthusiastic rant about Mark Twain. It was as boring as Magnus had expected it to be, but he ended up feeling rather healthy once the class was over, as if he had done some exercise, or ate a salad or something. The next class that he had was Chemistry, which he enjoyed a little more than most of his other subjects. He didn’t speak to, nor did he really acknowledge Alec throughout the rest of English, and still stayed silent for the whole of Chemistry. Alec didn’t say anything, either. Not until break-time anyway.

* * *

“You know, you shouldn’t try to run from me,” he said once he had found Magnus next to his locker after he had promptly bolted from the Chemistry labs, losing Alec in the crowd for a second time.

“Who says I’m hiding from you?” Magnus said as he opened his locker and shoved his books inside.

Alec ignored his comment. “There’s no logic in trying to get rid of me,” he said plainly as he opened the locker next to Magnus’. “Not only will you, perchance, do harm to yourself, but I _will_ eventually find you again.”

Magnus snorted. “Well maybe I don’t want to be seen with you because you’re now best-buds with Morgenstern.” He looked at Alec pointedly.

“I have my orders, Mr. Bane, and they were not from you,” Alec said, practically scolding Magnus. “I was only doing what was necessary. Besides, if you hadn’t tried to lose me in the first place, you wouldn’t have been in that situation anyway.”

Alec did have a point. Defeated, Magnus simply said, “It would have happened sooner or later.”

“That’s not good enough.”

Magnus barked a mirthless laugh. “You saw those idiots, right? Let’s face it, you don’t have much of a job to do here. You’re really gonna waste an entire year baby-sitting _me?_ ”

“They may be idiots, but stupidity like that can only do damage, and you are the closest and most desirable target for them to pick on.”

“Why me, then, wise-guy?” Magnus sneered. “Why me, if they could chose any other loser in this school? Out of hundreds and hundreds of students, are you really saying  that _I’m_ the easiest to pick on?”

“They pick on you because you give them a reason to,” the bodyguard said blankly. 

“And what reason is that?”

“You are different and you aren’t stupid. And that threatens them,” Alec said plainly with a lowered voice as if only now was he becoming aware of the stream of bodies shoving past him. Despite lowering his voice, a strange sort of passion then crept into it, breaking past his emotionless façade. “They could easily pick on someone else who would put up a fight, but anyone can put up some sort of resistance. You don’t, however. You don’t fight them, but you still keep coming back. In other words,” he continued, “to them you are much like a punch-bag that doesn’t fight back, and not because you have nothing to lose, but because you have nothing to gain from winning.”

Alec was so straightforward and straight-to-the-point without any sense of trickery with word-play or contradicting facial expressions. Magnus tried not to gape at him, but it was difficult not to; he was possibly the most blunt person Magnus had ever met.

Magnus pursed his lips and paused, thinking through what he was about to say next. “You are wrong about one thing, though,” he said with a rather lifeless voice. “You said that I always came back. That’s not true. Last year, I…” He trailed off, unable and unwilling to finish the sentence.

“Well, you’re back here now,” Alec said, startling Magnus with a small, encouraging smile that Magnus hadn’t deemed possible. “Anyway. Come on, we shouldn’t be late for the next lesson. Now where’s the Math Department…”

* * *

“Can you get me lunch?” Magnus piped up as they made their way to the cafeteria along with the tide of students all heading in the same direction.

“I’m your bodyguard, not your servant.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just go find a table while you get lunch for both of us…” Magnus began to walk away from Alec, but he was easily stopped.

“Oh no you don’t,” Alec said, grabbing Magnus by the collar and pulling him back to his side. “I’m supposed to be following you. How am I supposed to do that if you’re walking in the opposite direction?”

“You’re a smart chap,” Magnus said with a sarcastic smile and slapped Alec on the shoulder. “You figure it out.”

Alec gave him a long, thoughtful look. “Fine,” he eventually said, before releasing Magnus’ collar and walking over to where the food was served.

Feeling oddly satisfied, Magnus found an empty table near the exit, and sat, waiting for Alec to return. When he did, Magnus’ attention had been turned to something else so he didn’t look up when Alec slid a tray towards him; a group of female voices to his right had caught his interest. They hadn’t noticed he was sitting on the adjacent table, and so their voices carried over to him carelessly.

“Have you heard about that really hot new-guy?” one of the girls said.

“Yeah, heard of him. His name’s Alex or something, right? Haven’t actually seen him though,” another answered.

“ _I_ have, and oh, my, God is he gorgeous! I mean, he could dress a little better, but apart from that there’s really not much to complain about.”

“He’s really quiet, though.”

“So what if he’s the brooding type! It just makes him more sexy. And mysterious.”

“But apparently he always hangs out with that weirdo guy with all the make-up on. Like, ew, why?”

“Yeah, I know right! Why would anyone want…” And that’s where Magnus decided to zone out.

“News spreads fast, huh,” Magnus commented to no one in particular with a bored voice, still staring at the table. He could feel Alec’s eyes on him. Magnus hoped he hadn’t heard what the girls had been saying, for dignity’s sake. Of course Magnus had been expecting something like this to happen- it was virtually inevitable, seeing as Alec _was_ undeniably hot, and Magnus _was_ a weirdo. He knew he had it coming. The fact that Alec was actually his bodyguard- bound to Magnus through 'business’ as it were, rather than friendship- wasn’t particularly comforting, apart from that Alec could never leave him to go and join the likes of Sebastian, as much as he might like to if he was an actual student.

“You do realise,” Alec said, interrupting Magnus’ thoughts, “that I chose to do this job, and that there are easier ways of making money.”

“So you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart? How kind of you,” Magnus stated blandly.

Alec scowled. “That wasn’t my point,” he grumbled.

“Well, it is kinda hard to believe that you’d willingly come back to high-school,” Magnus said, reaching for the can of Pepsi that Alec had brought. “There is no way that I’d come back to high-school as a student, even if I was paid generously. Hell, even coming back here as a teacher would be a long shot.” Magnus gave Alec a thoughtful look and continued speaking despite the blank look he got in return. “I suppose you probably had a great time at your high-school, being the extremely good-looking, sexy young-man you are,” he said with a slightly nasty undertone to his voice.

Alec tried to say something in his own defense, but he ended up spluttering and flushed red across his cheekbones. Magnus raised his eyebrows in disbelief; how could one compliment- disguised as an insult as well- make this guy act so bashful? Girls were always giggling around him, and staring at him. He had been at this high-school for barely four hours and news about him had already spread. How could he not know how attractive he was?

“Well, the thing is,” Alec managed to say once he had recollected himself, “I didn’t actually go to high-school. Or any kind of school. I was taught at home.”

“You were home-schooled? By, like, your parents?” Magnus almost shuddered at the idea of being taught by his parents. Seeing his mother once a day was painful enough

“Not my parents, they had work and were barely home. But we had a guardian who tutored us.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, I have a few siblings. Max, who’s eleven- he’s insanely intelligent, Izzy who’s now eighteen- a heart-breaker in every sense of the word- and Jace, who’s an adoptive brother. But to me, he’s closer than even a brother by blood.” Alec stared down at his hands as he spoke, but he wasn’t able to hide the flicker in his eyes, full of a strange kind of melancholy longing, but still retaining a strong sense of fondness. But it was gone in a flash, to Magnus’ disappointment. “Sorry, you didn’t need to hear that,” Alec said as he hurriedly put his poker-face back on.

“You miss them, don’t you?” Magnus said, though it wasn’t a question.

Alec’s eyes flickered nervously. This was clearly a topic he’d prefer to avoid. “Yes,” he said softly. “Yes, I do miss them.”

“Where are they now?” Magnus asked, eager to know.

“At home, I suppose,” he said with a half-hearted shrug. “I haven’t seen them in a year or so.”

“You haven’t been home in a year?”

“I was kicked out,” Alec said with his usual bluntness, his voice taught. His eyes didn’t meet Magnus’.

“Oh,” Magnus said, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. “I’m sorry I asked.”

Alec ignored his comment. “Your mother knew,” he continued, “and she felt sorry for me. So she offered me this job because I needed the money.”

“My mother felt sorry for you?” Now _that_ Magnus found hard to believe. She was a forgiving woman, but definitely not a sentimental one.

Alec scratched the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “Well, I… um, my parents kicked me out because I am gay,” he forced out, almost cringing a he said the word 'gay’, “and because I, um, wasn’t particularly good at hiding it. She might feel sorry for me because of that, maybe. I don’t really know.”

Magnus’ eyebrows immediately shot into his hairline. “Did you just say that you were _bad_ at hiding that you were gay?”

Alec turn even more pink. “Y-yeah….”

“How?” Magnus began, his mouth gaping open slightly. “I had literally no idea!”

“About what-”

“How is that even possible?!” Magnus burst out, unable to keep the volume of his voice under control. “I didn’t even suspect- but my gaydar is _always_ right!”

“It wasn’t because I _looked_ especially, um, gay, it was because…” Alec tried to explain, but trailed off as he realised that Magnus wasn’t listening; Magnus was very nearly _outraged._

“ _I_ know! It’s because of that sweater- that infernal sweater!” he rambled, pointing an accusing finger at Alec’s torso. “It’s so awful that it’s managed to block my gaydar!”

“Keep your voice down,” Alec pleaded, before then saying, “And there’s nothing wrong with my sweater!”

“Darling,” Magnus said condescendingly, “it’s hideous.”

“No it’s not!” he exclaimed, folding his arms over his chest in defense.

“For starters, the colour’s awful. It’s a depressing grey colour-”

“It used to be black,” Alec protested.

“- And it’s got so many holes in it!”

Looking thoroughly miffed and somewhat offended, Alec grumbled that “it’s my favourite sweater”, and decided to slide further down his chair in a rather childlike, grouchy manner. Magnus was going to say something in retort, but decided against it. Alec really did look a bit offended.

And then it was silent; it was an awkward silence that neither of them knew how to fill, mainly because they had run out of things to say. Regardless, the cafeteria still moved and buzzed around them. They both ate the food that Alec brought them without saying another word.

It was in that silence that Magnus decided that having this guy as a bodyguard wasn’t really so bad.

* * *

The rest of the week passed relatively smoothly with only a couple of run-ins with Sebastian who they managed to avoid mainly because none of their classes- save English and Physical Education- had him in them, and so their paths hardly ever transversed. But when they almost did, Alec, who was always alert, fulfilled his application as Magnus’ bodyguard and dragged him in the opposite direction. This method was extremely effective, Magnus thought. He couldn’t remember the last time that he’d had such a pleasantly unexciting week. Having someone employed to watch your back was almost as good as having an actual friend to do it, although Magnus did grow quite fond of Alec. He constantly told himself that Alec was not a real friend, but that didn’t prevent him from having… _feelings_. He was, after all, a bisexual, single male who constantly had, in his presence, a very attractive bodyguard. It was inevitable.

But Magnus had more to worry about, like how he may have spoken too soon about the effectiveness of his bodyguard…

It was the final lesson of the second week, and to finish off, it was Magnus’ least favourite subject: Physical Education. And, because it was the first PE lesson of the year, the coach was in an extremely foul mood (his wife must have divorced him, or something- jeez that guy was grumpy) and so he simply made the class of boys do laps. For an hour.

Magnus struggled as usual- well, maybe _struggled_ wasn’t the right word. It was less that he couldn’t keep up with the others, more because he couldn’t be bothered to keep up with the others. Either way, he ended up trailing at the back, and Alec was obliged to stay beside him. Magnus would do a half-hearted jog for most of the time, but would slow to a walk when he thought the coach wasn’t watching. Magnus was only a little out of breath, but he was still sweating a bit. Alec, on the other hand, did not break sweat at all. Even when jogging, he’s make it look like a breeze even after they had been at it for twenty minutes. Magnus wasn’t surprised in the slightest, especially when he got a look at Alec in sports kit…

The clothes that he wore usually were always dark, and colourless and baggy. Sometimes, Magnus could have sworn that Alec had worn exactly the same outfit for three days running. Anyway, this was the first time Alec had shown even a little bit of ankle, let alone most of his legs and arms. His arms, chest and shoulders were ripped with muscle that was clearly used for more practical uses because they didn’t have the bulge of someone who weight-lifted.

His long legs were muscular as well. But the view that Magnus enjoyed the most was one that he had to be behind Alec to see, which was kind of difficult seeing as whenever Magnus would slow his pace, Alec would do the same; but the few glances at Alec’s rear were breathtaking.

When class ended fifteen minutes before it should have done, the class gratefully returned to the boy’s locker-room. Sebastian was in that crowd. He cast a few glances over to Magnus and Alec who were at the back of the group, which worried Magnus a little, but he tried to take no notice. There were just a few minutes left of school before Alec would drive him home, and the only thing that they had to do between then and now was to get changed out of their sports-kit.

The two of them were the last to enter the changing room, whereas they had actually been the first to get changed earlier that day, when the room was deserted. Alec, of course, had been somewhat self-conscious and wouldn’t get changed until Magnus had turned away. Now that’s kind of a problem when you have to get changed in a room crowded with sweaty, half-naked boys. Alec’s expression stayed the same as it usually did, but Magnus had known him long enough to sense how uncomfortable and uneasy he was, which Magnus could appreciate. Of course Alec would be uncomfortable, seeing as he was home-schooled and wasn’t really accustomed to being in a 'normal’ school, on top of the fact that he was gay.

“We could wait until the rest have left,” Magnus suggested quietly to Alec.

He seemed surprised that Magnus could tell what he was thinking. “No, no I’m fine. It’s best that we get out of here sooner rather than later, anyway,” he added, looking wearily over at Sebastian who was occupied on the other side of the room by his witless friends.

Magnus began getting changed, and quickly noticed that Alec wasn’t changing. He was just leaning against his locker with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze cast gloomily to the floor. Even when not getting changed, he looked painfully anxious.

Sighing, Magnus then said, “Alec. If you’re not going to get changed, just wait for me outside.” Alec opened his mouth to respond, but Magnus interrupted. “Seriously, I won’t be a moment. If you go get our stuff ready, I’ll meet you by our lockers in less than two minutes. Then we can get out of this place.”

Alec nodded, the relief in his eyes pretty evident. He hurried out of the changing room, spared a backwards glance at Magnus, then left.

Magnus got changed fairly quickly and he was about to leave, but when he shut the door to his locker, Sebastian was waiting for on the other side, leaning against the adjacent locker. Magnus hadn’t even heard him approach. His heart lurched in his chest once, before going back to normal. He tried to hide the shock by keeping his expression neutral, but ended up scowling back at Sebastian who had a slightly smug appearance. He was clearly thinking about doing something, or anticipating something, and Magnus didn’t want to be around long enough for that 'something’ to happen.

“Out my way, Sebastian,” he said, exasperated as he tried to walk past him, but the white-haired brute prevented him from leaving by stepping into his path.

“So I see the fag’s got a fag boyfriend now.” The rest of the changing-room was now watching and sniggering. Magnus felt painfully outnumbered, more so than he’d be with Sebastian alone. He couldn’t get by all of these people.

Magnus huffed and looked Sebastian straight in the eye. “Please, I’m busy now; can’t I ignore you some other time-”

“I know Camille would be disappointed,” Sebastian said indifferently, but knowing full well what nerve he was striking. “But she was disappointed anyway, wasn’t she,” he added cruelly.

Mentioning Alec alone was enough to infuriate Magnus, but when Sebastian brought up Camille, Magnus knew he meant business. The very name that he hadn’t dared to even think for months and months was now being used to taunt him.

“I here she’s got another boyfriend, now,” Sebastian continued whilst looking at his nails. “You know, one that isn’t a pansy.”

Magnus gritted his teeth and tried again to get past Sebastian, but to no avail.

“What’s wrong Maggie? Don’t you want to know how your ex-girlfriend is doing?”

Trying his best to keep his anger under control, Magnus kept his white-knuckles by his sides. He wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to see the flesh on Sebastian’s face turned into face-jerky- but no, he would not give them what they wanted. He would not allow them to get to him, not like they did last year. He had promised his mom that it wouldn’t happen again. He even had Alec, but _fucking Hell_ he wasn’t here when Magnus needed him.

“Well, I can definitely confirm that she’s doing perfectly fine without you. At least she doesn’t have to _pay_ someone to go-out with her.” That line earned laughs from their surrounding audience.

Magnus’ mind briefly panicked. _Does he know?! How can he know about- no, no, he’s just bluffing. Of course he doesn’t know,_ he told himself. _Alec can’t tell anyone, and_ I _didn’t tell anyone-_

“Why don’t you defend yourself, my good friend, like you used to?” Sebastian said as he took a step towards Magnus, lifting his head to make himself appear taller. He and Magnus were roughly the same height, only Sebastian had the muscle to back him up.

Magnus blinked slowly. “I’m not going to engage in a battle of wits with you, _friend_. I’d never attack an unarmed man,” he said snarkily, knowing full-well that there’d be consequences.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “So the bitch still bites,” he drawled with a malicious grin. Magnus took a step back- into the lockers. Before he could say anything else, Sebastian’s hand shot out and grabbed Magnus by his neck and slammed him back into the steel lockers with a loud _clang._

Magnus saw stars; the world in front of him seemed to sway from one side to the other. The back of his head throbbed agonisingly and there was a long ringing in his ears long after the impact. But the pain in his head wasn’t the problem. Sebastian’s fingers were still wrapped around his throat, pushing his windpipe closed. He couldn’t breath. He clawed at the hand on his neck frantically, digging his nails into flesh- but the grip was like iron.

Sebastian looked down at Magnus with disgust and hatred boiling in his colourless eyes. The amount of hate he directed at Magnus was frightening, almost as if he really would suffocate Magnus if he were given the choice. It was clear that he wanted to. “Why won’t you just fucking go away?” Sebastian spat. “Haven’t you learned already? No one fucking wants you here, and yet here you are.”

The rest of the room was silent. No one dared to mutter a word. _Perhaps_ , Magnus thought, _none of them would actually care if I was killed. Maybe they’d all help Sebastian make it look like an accident or like I had killed myself-_

Suddenly, his throat was released. He collapsed onto the hard floor, gasping and coughing. The back of his head still throbbed painfully and he could feel the bruising flesh around his throat where Sebastian’s fingers had been. As his breath came back, Magnus tried to regain focus, but his eyes were stinging and watery and his sight was blurred.

Meanwhile, as Magnus tried to stand using the nearby locker to support him, he distantly noticed action happening in the background. There were shouts that were indistinguishable as words to Magnus’ ears, and the sound of a struggle that lasted only a few moments before the room seemed to go still, besides Magnus’ heavy breathing. Magnus raised his eyes to see blurred figures moving about, figures, he recognised, that were exiting through the door in quite a hurry.

For a moment, once the figures had left the room, Magnus thought that he was completely alone. He slumped back against the lockers, the use of his eyes seemingly tiring him out to the point of nausea. _I need to…_ Magnus thought, his mind unable to focus for long. _I need to… to get to- I need to find-_

“Magnus!” a voice called out, cutting through his thoughts and momentarily confusing  him. Before Magnus could even think about responding, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders shake him thoroughly. “Magnus, are you OK? _Goddammit_.” The voice was soothing, Magnus thought briefly, even though it seemed to be panicked, which was just kind of annoying really. “Magnus,” it repeated, “Magnus! Come on-”

“Oh shaddup,” Magnus managed to make out, making sure the whisper conveyed as much annoyance as possible.

“Thank God- Magnus, look at me,” the voice instructed. He obeyed and lifted his exhausted eye-lids to see a face. “Do you know who I am?”

His eyes focused on the face before him. _Alec_. The name came into Magnus’ head as if from nowhere. “Yeah… yeah I know who you are… You’re my rescuer,” he slurred.

“Not, I am not your rescuer,” the voice said sternly. “I am your bodyguard- and a failed one at that. And we need to get home, _now._ ” He tried to pull Magnus up from under his armpits but Magnus squirmed and pushed him away. “Don’t make me carry you, Magnus.”

“I just… want to stay here,” Magnus said weakly.

“Well you can’t.”

Magnus sighed. “Just gimme a moment. Please.”

Alec’s expression softened, and so did his voice. “What hurts?”

“My head,” he replied, at the same time rubbing the back of his head with his hand. “And my throat. And I feel sick.”

“You have a concussion. We _need_ to get you back home.”

“No,” Magnus protested half-heartedly, “mother’s gonna kill me.”

“She’ll kill me too,” Alec said.

“No she won’t. You did your job at least. And what did you do to Sebastian anyway?”

Alec snorted, as if he found the memory amusing, though he didn’t smile or smirk. “Just made sure that he’d think twice about coming near you next time,” he said somewhat darkly. “But I hardly call that 'doing my job’. Talk about shutting the door after the horse has bolted…”

There were a few moments of silence in which Magnus tried to revive his sight completely. Alec, who was crouching before him, came into full focus, and the swaying finally came to a halt, though he still felt slightly dizzy. He groaned. “Fuck,” he said. “Tell me; why did I want to stay at this school again?”

“It would be easier if you transferred,” Alec agreed, “though it’s a bit late for that now.”

“Well, at least you have a job now, I suppose,” Magnus said. “Even if it is to baby-sit my sorry ass.”

“Yeah, but it’s not that bad,” Alec said teasingly, a small smile on his lips. “Beats anything else I could have ended up doing… Besides, it _can_ be fun. Sometimes.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? I’m glad you find my suffering amusing.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Alec said hurriedly, his cheeks going slightly red. Magnus marvelled at how easy it was to get this man flustered, given he was a tough and hard-hitting bodyguard. “I just- I just meant that I, um, enjoy-”

“Watching me suffer?” Magnus teased.

“-being with you,” Alec finished, looking up at Magnus through his eyelashes, nervous to see his reaction, but before Magnus could say anything, Alec continued as if he were trying to repair the damage he had done. “It’s just… I like being here-No, I, er, like seeing you happy… no, that’s not what I mean. I mean you _should_ be happy…”

And so he continued rambling. Magnus quickly zoned out, not because Alec was boring him, but because Magnus couldn’t quite focus on what Alec was saying in his dazed state. Alec was talking so fast, and he was still flushed and was avoiding eye-contact. Although it was kind of adorable, and Magnus was used to Alec being like this, he really needed him to just _stop._ It later occurred to him that using words to shut him up may have been a better option, but kissing him full on the mouth seemed to do the trick quite nicely.

Alec froze as Magnus stole the kiss from his lips. The contact didn’t last long, only a few fleeting seconds that ended far too quickly, but it was firm and decisive. Magnus enjoyed the feel of Alec’s lips against his, open mid-sentence. He would have deepened the kiss. He would have wound his hands up into Alec’s hair and pulled Alec against himself. He wanted to show him how grateful he truly was. But a wave of nausea swept over him and he fell back, his drooping eyes barely staying open.

Alec blinked, and he blinked again, his mouth still open. He seemed to be stunned, his wide eyes staring back at Magnus as if he had just done what Alec had previously deemed impossible.

“That was to… shut you up,” Magnus said, almost grumbling. “And… and to say thank you. For what you did. For me.”

Alec closed his mouth, and then swallowed. His eyes darted around the room as if he were searching for a solution to the situation. “We need to get you home,” he finally said. He stood up, then bent down and offered his hands to Magnus. “Come on,” he said softly.

Magnus obeyed and grudgingly forced his eyes open. He took Alec’s outstretched hands and allowed him to pull him back up. He stumbled forwards, his shaky legs not helping his situation, and fell against Alec’s chest. He leaned against the stronger man as they left the changing room, dizziness clouding his mind at random times as he tried to keep moving.

Anyhow, they both made it to the near-empty car-park and Alec sped home without hesitating. Throughout the short journey, he constantly glanced over at Magnus to make sure that he was still conscious, and he was, just about. But to make sure that he stayed that way, Alec tried speaking to him.

“Is your head still hurting?” he asked worriedly.

“A bit,” came the timid reply.

“And your neck?”

“It’s fine now.”

Alec nodded his head slowly, wracking his brain for another question to ask. “And you said you felt sick?”

“Alec.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t make me kiss you again,” Magnus warned, “especially not when you’re driving.”

As expected, Alec fell silent. His cheeks flushed a little, probably because of the memory of the kiss, and kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. The silence that ensued, filled only by the sound of the car engine, was long, and Alec looked as if he were about to say something and then decided against it. But eventually he made up his mind to ask Magnus a question.

“Magnus?”

“…Yes…”

“Why did you kiss me?” he asked hesitantly.

Magnus kept a small smile to himself, knowing full well that Alec would make that query sooner or later. “I already told you.”

Alec took in a frustrated breath. “I know _why_ you did it. I’m just not sure why it had to be a, you know, kiss.”

Magnus “aww’d” internally as Alec winced awkwardly at his own words. But instead he just shrugged. “I dunno. A spur of the moment thing, I suppose.

That was clearly not the kind of answer Alec was looking for. He pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. ” _A spur of the moment thing_ …“ he repeated to himself. "So you don’t- you don’t like me. In that way,” he said as if he were confirming some facts that he already had straight in his mind.

“Always as blunt as ever,” Magnus muttered.

“But do you _like_ me?” Alec insisted, eyes still on the road.

Magnus took a moment to consider what he was about to say. Eventually, he said, “So what if I do like you? You’re still my bodyguard. And if- because I like you in that way- you don’t want to be my bodyguard, then… sucks to be me, I guess.” He chose his words carefully so that beneath what he was actually saying lay the real questions he wanted to ask, the questions he wasn’t prepared to be blunt about.

Alec swallowed and nodded slowly, and in response he carried on speaking in Magnus’ indistinct vein of language. “But what if _I_ liked you?” Alec asked. “Would you still allow me to be your bodyguard then?”

The car then turned into the driveway that led to Magnus’ home- a classical-styled mansion that Magnus always felt out-of-place in. Alec brought the vehicle to a halt outside the front door and turned to Magnus, still waiting for a response. Magnus avoided the question. He was still slightly out of it, and his mind was a bit of a mess. Alec’s question only confused his thoughts further.

“I don’t know,” he said quickly in response to the question. “And I still don’t feel so well- you know, concussion an’ everything-”

“Magnus, wait-”

“-so I guess I’ll see you on Monday.” He unbuckled his seatbelt with somewhat unsteady hands. His pulse was pounding, and he wasn’t entirely sure that it was because of the concussion. He opened the car-door and was about to step out, but Alec called out to him.

“ _Magnus!_ ”

He turned back to his bodyguard. “What?”

A hand shot out and caught him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him forwards. A pair of lips pressed against his, unpractised but wholeheartedly. Alec’s skin was slightly cooler than Magnus’ feverent temperature, but Magnus could feel him blush in his usual way. They pulled apart and Magnus opened his eyes to see deep blue ones looking back at him with a mischievous glint.

A shy, slightly smug smile pulled the edges of Alec’s lips upwards. “See you on Monday,” he said as he released Magnus’ collar and sat back into the seat.

Magnus blinked twice, completely surprised by Alec’s sudden boldness. “Y-yeah, see you Monday,” he said as he stumbled out of the car. Once he found his footing, he stood up straight, only to see his mother waiting in the open doorway.

 _Oh crap,_ Magnus thought. _Did she see?_

His mother was wearing a wide, self-satisfied smile as she looked at both Alec and Magnus knowingly. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes distinctly said 'I told you so’. “Nice day at school, boys?” she called out.

_OK, she definitely saw._

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are welcome! I always love answering any questions or stuff that you guys ask, so… yeah.
> 
> Prompt me at your leisure!


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